▪ I. expire, v.
(ɛkˈspaɪə(r))
Also 5 expyre, -spyre, 5–7 exspire, (6 expiere, -perie, 7 expayer).
[ad. Fr. expirer, ad. L. ex(s)pīrāre to breathe out, f. ex- out + spīrāre to breathe.]
I. To breathe out.
1. trans. To breathe out (air, etc.) from the lungs; also with forth.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. xi. 45 The scorching fire, Which he from hellish entrailes did expire. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, ccxcviii, Wee yawne..the same Ayre which wee expired erst. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth iv. (1723) 236 The Fluid, which is..expired forth along with the Air, goes off in insensible Parcels. 1715–20 Pope Iliad vi. 223 Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire. 1859 Lewes Sea-side Stud. 234 In the daytime we expire more carbonic acid than during the night. 1866 Huxley Phys. iv. (1872) 82 The breath..afterwards is driven out or expired. |
b. absol. To breathe out air from the lungs.
| 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. iv. xi, Loose when he sucks in aire, contract when he expires. 1653 [see expiring vbl. n.]. 1851 Gosse Nat. in Jamaica 4 [The Whales] expired with a rushing sound, the instant the blow-hole was exposed. |
† 2. To give off (a perfume, vapour, etc.); to exhale, emit. Of a volcano: To emit, eject (flames, rarely solid substances). Also, To give out under pressure. Obs.
| 1603 Drayton Odes ii. 4 Where Altars..Doe od'rous Fumes expire. 1665 G. Harvey Advice agst. Plague 29 It [the Earth] purges it self by expiring those Arsenical fumes. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 205 And force the Veins of clashing Flints t'expire The lurking Seeds of their Cœlestial Fire. 1727 C. Pitt Paraphr. Ps. cxliv, The lab'ring hills expire Thick clouds of smoke and deluges of fire. Ibid. i. 636 What Rocks did ætna's bellowing Mouth expire from his torn entrails. 1762 Churchill Ghost ii. Poems I. 205 Ev'ry shrub expires perfume. 1808 J. Barlow Columb. v. 484 Lighted bombs that fusing trails exspire. |
| absol. 1626 Bacon Sylva §294 Heat drieth Bodies that do easily expire; as Parchment, Leaves [etc.]. |
† 3. intr. To pass out in, or like, breath; to be breathed forth or exhaled; hence of the winds, flame, a projectile: To rush forth. Cf. L. expirent ignes, Lucr. vi. 640. Obs.
| 1626 G. Sandys Ovid's Met. xv. 312 Furious winds..Pent in blind cauernes, strugling to expire. 1654 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 563 Tell my Princess..my breath expir'd in repeating the fair name of her [etc.]. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. clxxxviii, The linstocks touch, the ponderous ball expires. 1684 R. H. Sch. Recreat. 32 When the Rocket expires, they take Fire and spread into a Flame, hovering in the Air like Stars. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 129 Redundant Humours thro' the Pores expire. Ibid. iv. 254 Huge Flakes of Flames expire. 1729 Savage Wanderer i. 234 Thro' the bor'd rock above, the smoke expires. |
II. To breathe one's last breath, die.
† 4. trans. To breathe out (the soul, etc.) in the article of death; also, to expire one's last. Obs.
[Only a special use of sense 1; but the starting-point of a distinct series of senses.]
| c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 3287 On gude ffriday when crist his sawle on crosse expired. c 1477 Caxton Jason 84 b, Syn recommanded him to the Goddes and that don expired his lyf. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys 58 b, Medas..With paynfull hunger his lyfe breth dyd expyre. a 1612 Donne βιαθανατος (1644) 122 A youth..ready to expire his soule by sickenesse. 1642 Jer. Taylor Episc. (1647) 128 As soon as their Apostle had expired his last breath. a 1671 Ld. Fairfax Mem. (1699) 56 My daughter..in appearance was ready to expire her last. 1715–20 Pope Iliad xvi. 1000 Patroclus thus..So many lives effused, expires his own. |
5. intr. Of a person or animal: To breathe one's last; to die.
| a 1400 Cov. Myst., Assump. (Shaks. Soc.) 387 The thrydde day hens ye schul ben expirand. 1485 Caxton St. Wenefr. 3 The yong man forthwith fyll down to therthe and exspyred. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iv. xliv. 344 God onely knows..what becomes of a mans spirit, when he expireth. 1724 R. Falconer Adv. & Escapes 83 When he found himself just upon the Point of expiring, he made this short Prayer. 1741 tr. D'Argens' Chinese Lett. 209 They..stand round making respectful Bows to them [Goats and Sheep] till they are expired. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. II. 74 The King pressed his hand and expired. 1843 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. I. 275 Leaving my two gentlemen ready to expire of laughter. |
b. transf. in various nonce-uses. Also of a fire: To die out.
| c 1593 Spenser Sonn. xxvii. 11 (1611) D j, This verse, that neuer shall expire. 1595 Shakes. John v. iv. 36 Euen this ill night your breathing shall expire. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 209 Palmeto..is a soft pith in which consists the soule and vegetative vertue of that tree, which cut out the tree expires. 1660 Jer. Taylor Duct. Dubit. 139 The Jews religion..was to expire into the Christian. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. ccxii, London..By an high fate thou greatly didst expire. 1769 O. Goldsmith Hist. Rom. II. 49 Brutus was..reading by a lamp that was just expiring. 1847 Longfellow Ev. i. i. 113 The sparks expired in the ashes. |
6. To come to an end: a. Of a period of time: To reach its close; to terminate, end: rarely, to elapse, pass. Sometimes conjugated with be.
| 1455 Richard Dk. of York in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. 40 I. 126 And that yere expired to geve my said servaunt.. your licence to retourne. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vi. cci. 210 From the firste yere of Pepyn..to the first yere of Hughe Capet expyred or passed cc.xxxix. yeres. c 1500 Melusine 317 After your lyf naturel expired, no man shal..hold your land. c 1550 Cheke Mark i. 15 Jesus..said y⊇ time is now expired..repent and belev y⊇ gospel. 1608 Shakes. Per. iii. iv. 14 Until your date expire. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxix. 115 The three dayes abstinence being expired, lots were cast. 1812 Southey Lett. (1856) II. 278 Lord Sunderlin..has it for three years, one of which is expired. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 560 Till all the lives, during which it was directed to accumulate, should expire. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. xi. 118 Till the next session of Parliament should have nearly expired. |
¶Spenser's use in the following quot. seems to be a forced extension of this sense.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. vii. 9 She..Trebling the dew time In which the wombes of wemen doe expire Brought forth this monstrous masse. |
b. Of a condition (in a bond or the like), a law, patent, truce, etc. appointed for a limited time: To become void through lapse of time; to reach its term; to determine.
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 95 b, The triews faylled at time sette and exspired. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. i. iii. 160 A month before This bond expires. 1659 B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 171 There was a truce for six yeares, which expired in that of 1635. 1790 Paley Horæ Paul. Rom. ii. 43 St. Paul's vow was expired before he set forward upon his voyage. 1804 Earl of Lauderdale Publ. Wealth (1819) 162 When the patent expires. 1817 W. Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 668 A notice expiring that day of the year. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 540 To ascertain what temporary statutes were about to expire. |
c. Of an action, state, legal title, etc.: To cease, come to an end, die out, become extinct.
| c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4479 Þe paynyms pride it sall' expire. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xxvii, To worke my mind, when boddies work's expired. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 353 When this dignity was exspired in this family. 1659 B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 221 This War, which had lasted almost ninety years..expired in the Spring time, 1648. 1671 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 388 Dover Peere was not able to get in its report; so that matter is expired. 1712–4 Pope Rape Lock iii. 15 Amazed, confused, he found his power expired. 1783 Burke Rep. Affairs India Wks. 1842 II. 28 This trade..was now itself expiring in the hands of the company. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) II. 266 An estate tail..expires whenever there is a failure of issue inheritable to it. Ibid. III. 373 The title of the daughters expired on the birth of the son. 1833 Bp. Thirlwall in Philol. Mus. II. 522 The death of Ajax, with which, according to modern notions, the interest expires. 1844 Lingard Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858) I. ii. 77 note, The extensive authority..was meant to expire. |
† d. Of food: To be consumed, exhausted, or spent. Obs. rare—1.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon cix. 375 Or xv. dayes were passyd, all theyr vytayles were expyred. |
† 7. trans. To cause to expire or cease; to bring to an end, conclude; to put an end to. Obs.
| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 77 To swill the drinke that will expyre thy date. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. iv. 109 Some consequence..Shall..expire the tearme Of a despised life. 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. 6 If I woulde expire the miserie of his vnspeakable tormenting vncertaintie. 1610 Selden Duello iv. 15 Death was vmpire by expiring the best spirit of the one. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus i. 10 These seducers..will not haue it [circumcision] dated, when the Lord hath expired it. |
† b. To cause (time) to pass; to spend. rare—1.
| 1589 Nashe in Greene Menaphon Ded. (Arb.) 11 Those yeares, which shoulde bee employed in Aristotle, are expired in Epitomes. |
▪ II. † exˈpire, n. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. vb.]
= expiration, expiry.
| 1612 Sylvester Lacrymae Lacrym. 168 But, day by day, vntill our last expire..Prostrate our Soules..Before the Footstool of th' Empyreall Chaire. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. vii. ix. 357 Having seen the expire of Daniels prediction..he [John] accomplished his Revelation. |